Album Review: The Black Crowes – ‘The Lost Crowes’

By Patrick Luce Nov 1, 2006, 15:28 GMT

Black Crowes fans rejoice! There is a new album from the band – well it’s sort of a new album. ‘The Lost Crowes’ (aka ‘The Tall Sessions’) is a two-disc double album of previously unreleased material from the band and features their signature sound of great blues mixed with rock.

‘The Lost Crowes’ features a remix by Paul Stacey and includes liner notes spotlighting the stories behind these lost sessions as told by the Robinsons. The liner notes also features photos of the band.

The two discs are made up of two recorded albums (‘Tall’ in 1993 and ‘Band’ in 1997) that never made their way to store shelves. Some of the tracks on the CD did eventually find homes on other studio albums, but are also recorded here in their original form. Others may be familiar to Black Crowes fans from the band’s live shows.

1993’s ‘Tall’ (which would have followed-up the band’s 1992 smash hit ‘The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion’) is a little weaker than the other disc and represents the band still in its early days. It was recorded at Conway Studios in Los Angeles, but was scrapped in favor of what would become 1994’s ‘amorica’ – which featured a more creative sound for the band.

The ‘Tall’ CD (which is named after a jazz term for getting high) contains 16 tracks that are a bit rougher than the polished sound that the Crowes featured on ‘The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion.’ The album is more in stride with the band’s first release ‘Shake Your Money Maker.’ The disc contains “early versions” of “A Conspiracy,” “Descending,” “Wiser Time” and “Cursed Diamond.” The collection also features the undiscovered classics “Tied Up And Swallowed,” “Feathers,” “Thunderstorm 6:54” and “Lowdown,” - a sad lost anthem that became “Ballad In Urgency.”

The ‘Band’ CD (which is the better of the two albums collected) was recorded in Nashville and was meant to be a follow-up to the band’s 1996 album ‘Three Snakes & One Charm.’ Where ‘Tall’ thrives on the mayhem of The Black Crowes young Los Angeles days, ‘Band’ confidently probes some of the band’s more mature and thoughtful music. If you were a fan of the work the group did on ‘Three Snakes & One Charm,’ then you will quickly enjoy ‘Band.’

The ‘Band’ CD features 10 songs including a different version of the B-side “Peace Anyway,” plus “If It Ever Stops Raining,” a song that would become the title-track to the 1999 album ‘By Your Side.’ The compilation also spotlights the taut riff rock of “Paint An 8,” the windblown ache of “Wyoming & Me” along with the freaky-longhaired-Mother Earth grooves of “Another Roadside Tragedy,” “Grinnin” and “Life Vest.”

If you are a fan of the Black Crowes, this album is a must have. It is filled with great rock, and it is nice to see the collection finally see the light of day. Why a studio failed to release ‘Band’ is beyond me.  I would highly recommend the album. While ‘Tall’ may feature a less polished sound from the group, both CDs have great material from a truly killer rock n blues band.

‘The Lost Crowes’ is now available at Amazon. Visit the music database for more information and a complete track listing.